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8 The Pittsburgh Experience
Pages 229-252

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From page 229...
... Further, coke, used in the smelting process and therefore an important resource for metal industries, is made from coal. Steel production in Pittsburgh started in the 1700s, and by 1820 had become the major industry in the city.
From page 230...
... Coking leads to large emissions of carbon monoxide and air toxics such as benzene. As steel production increased, so did air pollution.
From page 231...
... It was not until the 1880s that air quality temporarily improved. From 1884 to 1892, the city enjoyed a brief respite from the smoke, while natural gas replaced coal as the city's major fuel.
From page 232...
... . ���������������������������������������������� Ozone and acid deposition are major concerns, along with particulate matter (including soot)
From page 233...
... While historically a large fraction of the population was employed as labor in the manufacturing sector, there was also a significant amount of local wealth. The families of the company owners and financiers lived in the area, most notably Andrew Carnegie of US Steel and Andrew Mellon of the Mellon Bank.
From page 234...
... and Flag Plaza (1983-1997) , as part of the National Air Sampling Network and the Air 8-2 Quality Program of the Allegheny County Health Department.
From page 235...
... Title IV targeted acid deposition, and required significant reductions in sulfur dioxide. Title II required stricter automotive controls and Title I focused on ozone-forming emissions, although NOx emissions were underemphasized as research was just coming out to suggest the importance of NO x to regional ozone formation (Chameides et al., 1992; Milford et al., 1989, 1994; NRC, 1991; Sillman and Logan, 1987)
From page 236...
... and groups they funded analyzed available air quality data, conducting a major air quality assessment effort to understand ozone formation and transport in the eastern United States. They also assessed available emissions control options for the region.
From page 237...
... 8-3 TABLE 8-3  Estimated Point-Source Criteria Air Emission Change in Allegheny fixed image County (tons per year emitted or percent of 1996/1999 baseline year) Pollutant 1996 CO NOx PM2.5 PM10 SO2 VOC Base Year (short tons/yr)
From page 238...
... . Heating relies largely on natural gas, though fuel oil, electricity, and district heating are used as well (see Box 8-1)
From page 239...
... THE PITTSBURGH EXPERIENCE 239 FIGURE 8-5  Areas in non-attainment in 2002, and projected non-attainment following implementation of CAIR.
From page 240...
... SOURCE: PPUC, 2006. 8-6 TABLE 8-4  Pennsylvania Coal Statistics Electrical Industrial Residential/ Generation Plants Commercial Productiona State Total, 2004 47,728 11,425 796 (thousand short tons)
From page 241...
... The facility is a major source of air pollutants such as nitrogen oxides and carbon monoxide emissions, as well as a minor source of particulate matter, sulfur dioxide, and volatile organic compounds (ACHD 2004)
From page 242...
... to remove virtually all particulate matter and 92 percent of SO2 (more than 400,000 short tons annually) , with planned upgrades to increase this removal to 95 percent ­(FirstEnergy, 2005)
From page 243...
... 8-8 revenue that its former "waste product" generates, as well as from the decreased need for waste disposal. As mentioned earlier, Pittsburgh decided to establish a task force in order to better address issues such as energy efficiency and greenhouse gas emissions.
From page 244...
... The Commission included industrial and civic ­leaders, the editor of a local newspaper, a doctor who headed the Pittsburgh Department of Public Health, members of civic clubs, and a member of the Board of Education, among others. In addition to the direct workings of the Commission, the newspapers provided support for anti-smoke regulations, and the Civic Club and League of Women Voters educated the community on the costs of smog, not only on health, but on welfare costs as well (e.g., increased soiling of clothes)
From page 245...
... Today, the ACHD continues to lead the local monitoring and regulation of air pollutants, while the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection's Bureau of Air Quality regulates at the state level and maintains a regional office in Pittsburgh. The Health Department has more than 40 staff working on air q ­ uality issues.
From page 246...
... Pittsburgh is just downwind of Ohio, which belongs to the Midwest Regional Planning Organization, and Ohio and other states further upwind have substantial emissions of nitrogen oxides and sulfur oxides that produce ozone and particulate matter. Hence the area also relies on more widely applicable regulations enacted by the EPA (such as CAIR [EPA, 2005]
From page 247...
... The Green Building Alliance is involved, along with the regional NGO Clean Air – Cool Planet, and the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives, in carrying out Pittsburgh's Climate Protection Initiative. The Green Government Task Force mentioned earlier will also be instrumental in the early stages of this initiative.
From page 248...
... Andrew Carnegie and Andrew Mellon started two companies that had a tremendous impact on the region. As well, one of their more lasting contributions appears to be the two educational institutions that they founded -- the Carnegie Institute of Technology and the Mellon Institute.
From page 249...
... However, as the more local "smoke" problems were reduced, the need to address regional air pollution grew. Ozone, secondary fine particulate matter, and acid deposition are not as effectively addressed by local agencies working in isolation.
From page 250...
... . References ACHD (Allegheny County Health Department)
From page 251...
... 2003. Strategies for clean air: The Pittsburgh and Allegheny County smoke control movements, 1940-1960.
From page 252...
... 2004. Southwestern Pennsylvania Regional Sustainability Indicators Report 2004.


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